Issues still to be resolved

Members of the Barbados Secondary Teachers Union (BSTU) still have several concerns which they want addressed before the start of the new school term on Monday.

Following an over three-hour Zoom meeting with its membership last night to discuss matters related to the reopening of school, BSTU president Mary Redman said teachers had aired numerous grievances.

One of their main concerns she said, related to a common set of protocols being implemented at all schools.

Redman said it seemed as though individual schools were setting their own rules.

“Coming out of that meeting we learnt that some schools were further along in their planning and organization than others. There was a call for protocols to be available at all schools because planning in the absence of these protocols is causing some disparity and confusion as to what should obtain. Different schools are doing different things, they are applying different standards and it is a cause for concern among the membership,” the BUT president disclosed.

She said members also called for shortened school hours so as to reduce the chances of students having to use public transportation with members of the public during peak hours.

“Grave reservations were expressed in relation to students using the public transport system and the opportunities that we envisage would be presented for the mingling of students and the working public and implications of that.

“There is a call for a shortened school day to allow children to effectively be off the streets when the working public will be using the public transportation system,” Redman said.

She also spoke of timetabling concerns at some schools.

She said in some instances there had been unequal allocations of classes and staff had reported that it appeared as if attempts were being made to use the opportunity to disadvantage some teachers over others.

Redman revealed that at the Deighton Griffith School some teachers in a department had been allocated 30 and 32 lessons in a week while others in that department had only been allocated eight and ten lessons.

Redman said in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns were also raised regarding whether existing ancillary staff would be able to carry out the degree and frequency of sanitization that is required.

The BUT president said the ability to complete the curriculum, especially the CXC syllabus’ requirements, was also an issue and called for CXC to reveal plans for the 2021 exams to allow teachers to plan accordingly.

Other concerns also included the ability to effectively register students; Wi-Fi availability and the consistency of service within schools and the readiness of schools’ internet facilities to support requirements for online classes being held within the school.

Redman said there was the need for the distribution of devices to both teachers and students.

She said during the meeting a list of over 30 teachers who were in need of devices was presented.

Redman said the BSTU was in the process of writing to the Ministry of Education to bring the matters to its immediate attention.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb